Photo by Tak Tokiwa, courtesy of the artist.

Hailed by the likes of Pat Metheny and Kurt Rosenwinkel as the premiere guitarist of his generation, Lage Lund is a Jazz Gallery regular and a staple of the New York jazz scene. His magnetic sound engrosses the listener as Lund paints in broad strokes with wide intervals, carefully interwoven lines, and beautiful melodies. A winner of the Thelonious Monk International Jazz Competition, Lund has toured widely as a leader and sideman, and has released a number of acclaimed albums, most recently Idlewild (Criss Cross, 2015). On December 9th and 10th, Lund brings saxophonist Greg Osby, bassist Matt Brewer, drummer Tyshawn Sorey, and young pianist Micah Thomas to the Gallery to take some of Lund’s new music on a test drive. We spoke with Lund about his musical past, his approach to composing new music, and his take on competition in the world of jazz today.

The Jazz Gallery: How were the sets last week with Johnathan Blake?

Lage Lund: They were fun. Johnathan and I used to play a lot in Jaleel Shaw’s band, but it’s been about ten years, so it was nice to have a reunion. We were playing some of Johnathan’s music, as well as tunes by Kenny Kirkland, Mulgrew Miller, a few different things.

TJG: And what will you be playing this week when you bring your own group to The Gallery?

LL: We’re going to be playing all of my own music. I basically have the next record’s worth of music all done, so we’re kind of ‘road-testing’ it a bit. There’s not a specific concept behind it, but I’ve been playing with Matt Brewer and Tyshawn Sorey for at least the last three years, and have been developing this music for them and with them. We’ve been playing around town every few months or so, and I started some new tunes for those occasions. The tunes and the sound began to crystallize the more we played. This is all a part of that process. Usually we play in a quartet format, but for this one I invited Greg Osby, who I’ve been a huge fan of for a long time.

TJG: What are you particularly excited about for this upcoming show? Any tunes you’re looking forward to hearing in this new context, or any new sounds you’re eager to try?

LL: I probably have ten or twelve tunes that aren’t recorded yet, more than enough for what’s going to be on the next record. Some of these tunes haven’t been played a lot, so this’ll be a good chance to get more familiar with them. With Matt and Tyshawn, things are different every time. It’s always kind of a surprise, in terms of where things might go. I’m doing a record in May, and will definitely include Matt and Tyshawn. Regarding Micah, I came across some videos that floored me. I’ve actually never played with Micah Thomas, but have heard some things that were pretty stunning. Such an original sound. I thought it would be a fun opportunity to play together and see how he sounds on my music.

TJG: I’ve read that you wanted to be a professional skateboarder. Was skateboarding popular in Norway when you were growing up, and was there a soundtrack attached to it?

LL: It wasn’t particularly popular, it’s just what my friends and I were doing around when I was nine years old. But it definitely had a music attached to it. I was listening to all the music on the skateboard videos. A lot of stuff like Dinosaur Jr. and Minor Threat, the Southern California punk rock sound.

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Photo courtesy of the artist.

Philip Dizack, one of the most sought-after trumpeters in New York these days, plays and writes with rare maturity and clarity. Having recorded several critically-acclaimed albums, Dizack maintains a full schedule of collaborations and commissions. Always thoughtful and aware of his predilections and predispositions, Dizack has been discussing his musical approach for years, as can be seen in this piece by NPR. We caught up on the phone and talked about how he approaches challenges, chips away at musical obstacles, and cultivates collaborations.

The Jazz Gallery: You played on Ben van Gelder’s Among Verticals album release at The Jazz Gallery. That was a great project, do you play with Ben often?

Philip Dizack: Let’s see, the first gig I ever did with Ben was with Melissa Aldana and Glenn Zaleski’s Sextet at The Jazz Gallery. He asked me to do his recording project and CD release. We’ve known about each other for a long time, but I didn’t get to know him personally until this past year. I went to hear him play recently. He’s one of these people where, if I’m not working, I definitely don’t stay at home. I always want to hear my heroes and contemporaries, people I admire greatly, and I always go if I have the opportunity.

TJG: Over the summer you were touring on the west coast and in Europe with a number of different artists—Kyle Poole, Dayna Stephens, Billy Childs, Myron Walden, and so on. How do you manage your busy schedule?

PD: For New York musicians, we’re always trying to have a busy schedule [laughs]. It’s not so much an issue of managing the schedule as it is an issue of managing sleep, dedication, and focus. There’s always a trade-off somewhere, and generally it errs on the side of no sleep [laughs]. For anybody really striving to create something of their own, and to be a part of something they care about, it’s like having your own baby. You have to sacrifice things because you care so much about what you’re doing. The sacrifices aren’t really “sacrifices,” and managing your schedule isn’t really “managing your schedule.” Those things you do are really about striving to have the most beautiful experiences you can as an artist.

TJG: Have you ever struggled with burnout?

PD: In terms of emotional burnout or lack of interest, I think there’s a season for everything. Have I really experienced burnout? No. But I’ve found myself in situations where I didn’t know exactly what my purpose was. Those situations have helped to clarify the things I care about. I’ve never gotten burned out on the overarching goal or passion, but I have experienced indicators of things I may not want to do, and those helped push me in the right direction. It’s not often that you find yourself in a position with consistency, variety, spontaneity, a feeling of importance and connection. When all of those things coalesce, you end up with a feeling of purpose in the moment. Those privileged moments have shaped and revealed who I am.

TJG: You’ve written that the discovery of Miles Davis at a young age was particularly formative for you, as it tends to be for young jazz musicians. What do you think it is about Davis’ language and approach that appeals to developing musicians?

PD: I think what was behind his playing, his story, was most important. His identity as a person and a musical actor was the most prolific thing about him, which is why he experimented and ventured into other art forms. He also paid attention to details which are mostly neglected. Everything he’s doing seems very simple, to the point that so many people can copy it. But to create it for the first time, that’s something. Anyone else just sounds like a copy of Miles. There’s a whole essence that’s missing when you copy it. There’s a depth to who he was as a person and as an artist that manifested itself in anything he did in music. Kind of Blue is a perfect example. Everyone has heard the record a hundred thousand times, bur if you listen to “Blue In Green,” it’s still unbelievable. You’re connected to it every time. He has an emotional connection that most musicians haven’t found. Not that I can claim otherwise, but most musicians have a hard time getting past the laundry list of theoretical and technical hurdles that we have to overcome and work on.

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